Lighter-than-air aircraft



`May 21, 1929. B. N. WALLIS 1,713,574

LIGHTR-THAN-AIR AIRCRAFT Filed Aug. 20, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l a q 1-..-. w. n.

May 2l, 1929. B. N. WALLIS I LIGHTER-THAN-AIR 'AIRCRAFT Filed Aug. 20, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 21, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT f-oFFlcE.

BARNES NEVILLE WALLIS, vOIIS WESTMINSTER, LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO AIRSHIP GUARANTEE'COMPANY, LIMITED, OF WESTMINSTER, ENGLAND, A BRIT- ISH COMPANY.

LIGHTER-THAN-AIR AIRCRAFT.

Application led vAugust 20, 1927, Serial No. 214,342, and in Great Britain October `12, 1926,

of a tubular gas trunk extending through... the interior ofthe gas bag, the valve being' adapted to open at blowing pressure so as A to allow gas to enter the gas trunk and the trunk having an outlet at its upper end for the escape of lifting gas. a

According to the present invention the automatic gas valve or valves is .ork are located at or'towards the bottom of the gas bag within the lower end of a tubular gasV trunk, attached to the gas bag. Preferably the said gas valve or valves is or are attached to the exterior of the .f gas bag and lie in a pocket or recess in'one of the sides .or flat j enlarged scale a. portion ofthe gasfdisends of the gas bag so'that the valve or valves is or are positioned between a pair of contiguous gas bags and enclosed within a light gas-tight casing. which surrounds the same, and which casing opens at its upper end into a trunk or uptake shaft of suitable shape leading from the gas valve or valves to the top of the bag. 1

In order that` the said inventionV may be clearly understood and readily carried into effectthe `same will now be described more fully. with reference'to the accompanying drawings which Villustrate moreor lessdia-` grammatically and by way of example only one embodiment ofthe present invention, `and in which y Y Figure l is an end the gas bag of anY airship fitted with a gastight trunk and an automatic gas discharge valve locatedvwit'hin a gas-tight casing constructed according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation and Figure 3 is a sectional plan view of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a detail view showing on an charge trunk, and y Figure 5 is a sectional plan view of Figure 4. I h

Figure Gris a three quarter perspective view of the lower portion of the gas trunk .I and the gas-,tight casing or cage fitted with twinautomaticv gasvalves, the cage having a hinged air valve adapted to break any view of a portionl of syphonic action that may be set up in the gas trunk, the gas valves and the a-ir valve being shown in the closed position.

a igure 7 is a sectional view through the casing or cagel showing in full lines the gas v alves 1n their open position, and in dotted lines'the open position of theV air valve.

Figure 8 isa view on an enlarged scale showing one method of attaching the gas trunk and Ycage to the gas bag, and Figures 9 and l10 are detail views showing a method of sealing the gas bag that may be adopted when it is desired to remove the gas valve. l is the gas trunk; 2 is the gas-tight casing or cage at the lower end thereof for accommodating the automatic gas valves. 3 is the recess in the end of the gas ba LA for accommodating the gas trunk and t e cage 2, and 4,'4 are patches Yfor connecting the trunk, as also the cage 2, to the gas Abag A. Therecess 3 is provided not only for the purpose of accommodating the gas trunk l l' and the cage 2 but also to allow the gas bag A to fit snugly against the radial or bulkhead `wiring B disposed between the bag A and the contiguous gas bag C, the recess 3 being formed-by' cutting away the material of the gas bag at a point which, in the example shown, is situated to the left of the centre A of the gas bag A. The trunk 1 is in communication with the atmosphere at its upper -end and is built up ofhorizontally arranged D-shaped frames l, 1a spaced apartby vertically disposed wires 1", 1", and

-at itslower end it is connected to the cage 2.

v`hinged air valve adaptedto open automatically and to break any syphonic action set up in the gas trunkrl. In view of the aforesaid arrangement the gas trunk and the casing are free to follow the undulations of the gas bag in its'lower-partjwhen the latlter becomes deflated.

Referring t9 Figuresfaaana 1o the ma'- terial of the gasbag A is continued as Vshown at a to form an outwardly projecting circularneck fand the fabric l of the gas trunk Y as also the fabric '2C of the cage 2 are continued inwardly so as also to form Van inwardly projecting circular neck 1d. a', a are bands which are tightened around the valve body 5 outside both the fabric necks a and 1d, thus gripping the fabric necks to vthe valve 5 and securing the parts firmlyin position. The valve body 5 is-forined with the inner band c. Should, however, it be desired to remove'thevalve 5 from the gas bag the stitcninga3 is cut as shown at Figure 9. Thereafter the collapsed portion is expanded and by passing a cord around the expanded neck 'the gas bag' can be cut olf from the' valve and the valve removed witl Qoutjpermittin'g any oiv the lifting gas to escape.

In previous constructions where it 'was proposed to locate the valve at the bottom of the bag so` that it vopened into`a trunk located between a pairot contiguous gas bags dangerous leakages of gas were liable to take place along'the bottom of the airship owingto the fact that a positive connection 'between the valve andthe Agas trunk leading to the top of the airship was not Vprovided aiid the valve was merely held r'rictionally and in more or less accurate coincidence witli the inletvleading to the uptake shaft, In the present arrangement, however,

f the valves 5, are enclosed within a gastight easing 2y which surrounds the Vgas valvesand which positivelyconnects it to and holds it inaccurate Vcoincidence with,

,the inlet A2 in the bag A leading to the gas valves 5, 5. Y I

c' .Furthermore 'and' in previous constructions where the valve was located between contiguous gas bags there wasllalso aliabilvity for syphonic action'v to set up inthe gas vtrunk and the lifting gas to be thereby wasted, but by means ofthe valve 6, syphonic action in the uptake shaft or gas trunk Vis prevented. JInstead of 'a flap valve such as 6 which is hinged'at its lower end to the cage 2 a clack valve may be provided consisting of a discotl rubber or other'suitable lieXible material covering ,an'aperture or a series ot apertures in' the .bottoinor lower wall of the casing'which vsurrounds the auto- Y y matic valve or valves, the clack valve being retained onlits seat-,iter 'example,`by means oita small central disc and stud. 'Owing to this arrangement, and inthe event oit hydrogen being discharged by "the automat-ic `valve or valves in such quantities as to produce a super-pressure within the 'gas-tight ving into said casing.

casing andthe trunk, thervalve 6 will remain closed under the influence of gravity assisted by the superpressure of gas on its upper side. Consequently, the,V trunk l willV be maintained gas-tight duiing the discharge of hydrogen in large quantities. It however, the'pressure within the gas trunk 1 falls below that of the surrounding atmosphere the valve-6 will open automatically and admitfair to the trunk so-asto restore the pressure balance, thus'avoiding syphonic action and allowing the automatic gas valves 5, 5 toclose. The provision of a valve constructed and arranged! as above described also serves fto equalize any sub-pressure which may be'eXperienced vin the uptake shaft or gas'trunk-l as' a result ot' aerody- `namic suction in pitched Hight, thus -preventing any leakage of hydrogen which wouldV otherwisebe caused by the suction produced under these conditions although the gas bag itself-might not be fully inlated. Y

Vhat I lclaim and desire 'to secure by Letters Patent ofthe -United States is 1. A gas bag for an airship having` means 'forperniitting the Vescape of Agas comprising in combination a'gasti'unklocated between said gas bag and an adjacent Ygas bagA and Vattached at intervals along its length to said vgas bag, and at least one valve in said gas bag, said trunk `fitting in a gas-tight ymanner over said valve.

2. A gas bag vfor anfa'irship having lmeans torV permitting the escape of gas comprising in combination a gas trunk locatedbetween said gas bag and an adjacent gas bag and attached at lintervals along its length to said gas bag, ya gas-tight-casing with which said gasl trunk Vcommunicatesandfat least one valve in said gas bagV opening into said casing. Y l

. A gas bagitor an ,airship' having means for permitting'the escape'o' gas con'iprising in combination a gas trunk located in a recess in said gas bag and between said gas bag and an adjacent gas bag and .attached at intervals along its length to said gas bag,

lll)

andat; least one valve in saidgasbag, said f gas trunk iitting:vv ina gasv tight 'manner over said valve.

Y 4. vA gas bag foran airship having means tor permitting escape ot gas comprising in combination 'a gas trunk located, between said gas bag andan ad]acent gas bag vand attached at intervals along its length to said gas bag,'^a gas-tightc'asing with which said gas trunk communicates, ana-'ir valve associated vwith said casing and adapted to open kautomatically under sub-pressure conditions and at least one valve in said gas bag open- 5. A gas 7bag'for anairship having means for permittingjthe escape of gasfcomprising said gas bag and an adjacent gas bag and attached at intervals along its length to said gas bag, an air valve communicating with said gas trunk and adapted to open automatically under sub-pressure conditions and at least one valve in said gas bag, said gas trunk fitting in a gas-tight manner over said valve.

6. An airship having gas bags each provided with means for permitting the escape of gas comprising in combination a gas trunk located between each of said gas bags and attached at intervals along its length to one of said gas bags, and at least one valve in each of said gas bags, said gas trunks fitting respectively in a gas-tight manner over said valves.

7. An airship having gas bags each provided With means for permitting the escape of gas comprising in combination a gas trunk located between each of said gas bags and attached at intervals along its length to one of said gas bags, an air valve'communieating with each of said gas trunks and adapted to open automatically under sub-pressure conditions and at least one valve in each of said gas bags, said gas trunks fitting respectivelyV in a gas-tight manner over said valves.

BARNES NEVILLE WALLIS. 

